Deepak to ‘tell all’ on Al Jazeera’s 101 East but Najib says claims are baseless

Businessman Deepak Jaikishan.

PETALING JAYA: Deepak Jaikishan, a once-close associate of former prime minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor, is set to expose exclusive details on how he allegedly bribed them to win government contracts on Al Jazeera’s 101 East programme.

The episode, titled “Malaysia: Power and Corruption”, is the third and final 101 East episode on 1MDB and will premiere on Al Jazeera English at 6.30am tomorrow.

Speaking to FMT, Najib however dismissed Deepak’s claims, saying they were baseless and a complete fabrication.

In this week’s episode, Al Jazeera’s award-winning journalist Mary Ann Jolley interviews Deepak on how he allegedly bribed Najib and Rosmah of millions of ringgit in cash and jewellery to get lucrative contracts from the government.

“She’s just plain greedy. She wants it all,” he tells Al Jazeera.

“The diamonds, especially the expensive, priceless pieces, they were her way of keeping their money. It’s an easy way for her to siphon off the money and to keep in a very simple place,” he claims.

On the one-year anniversary since PH wrested Putrajaya from the Najib-led Barisan Nasional, Deepak tells Jolley that Najib and Rosmah never thought they would lose the general election or that the police would raid their house.

He also claims that jewellers would go to Rosmah’s house in his presence, and she would tell him to pay for the jewellery she chose.

Deepak also claims that Rosmah was like the “de facto prime minister”.

“It went to a point where every project had to go through her.”

Rosmah is facing 19 charges for money laundering, tax evasion and soliciting millions in bribes for government contract.

Najib, meanwhile, is facing more than 40 charges for money laundering and abuse of power. Both of them have denied all charges.

Previously, Deepak filed a RM656 million suit against Najib, Rosmah, Boustead Holdings and Bakti Wira Development Sdn Bhd, alleging interference in a property deal that caused his company to suffer huge losses.

However, Najib, when contacted, in dismissing Deepak’s accusations, said they were aimed at casting aspersions against him and Rosmah.

Najib also noted that Boustead and its subsidiary, Bakti Wira Development, had also refuted Deepak’s claims as “baseless, frivolous, vexatious and unjustifiable”.

The media, Najib said, should also ask Deepak where he got the millions to give as “gifts”.

“If he has all the evidence of the gifts, he should bring all these to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for them to investigate,” he told FMT.

“I am sure that the MACC, under the PH government, will not hesitate to take action against us if his allegations are true.” - FMT